FEW Moorestonians, with the exception
of the older generation, realize that in the early days there was a small
but thriving village within three miles of Moorestown that has vanished from
the face of the earth as completely as the fabled Atlantis. The ancient village
of Colestown¹ was situated on the south branch of Pensauken Creek about
three-quarters of a mile southeast of the Cemetery. It stood on a winding
road known locally as “Crooked Lane” leading from the Haddonfield
to the Fellowship Road near the present village of that name. This road originally
started at the King’s Highway near Colestown Cemetery, and joined the
“Great Road” leading from Iladdonfield through Evesboro and Mount
Laurel to Mount Holly near the village of Fellowship. The Lane on the Joshua
Roberts farm, now owned by Clayton Andrews, is part of Crooked Lane. This
Lane starts about one-half mile northeast of the intersection of the Haddonfield
and Church Roads and leads down to the creek where the ruins of the old bridge
may be seen. The bridge collapsed in about 1914 and since then the Road has
been abandoned. The banks of the creek are high and picturesque at this point
and it is a most delightful spot for those who love to commune with nature.
Just above the bridge, Roberts’ saw mill formerly stood and the mill
pond extending almost to Church Road was a favorite resort of the young people
of the neighborhood both in summer and winter. On the eastern side of the
stream the old road turned to the right and ran near the stream for perhaps
one hundred yards where it turned sharply to the left and

¹I am indebted to
my friends, Samuel R. Coles of Moorestown a direct descendant of the pioneer
Samuel Cole, and Chalkley Matlack of Colestown, also, to the “Traditions
of Evesham Township” by William R. Lippincott for this account of the
old Colestown Village.

96MOORESTOWN AND HER NEIGHBORS

continued in a reasonably straight
line to the Fellowship Road a little to the northwest of its junction with
Lenola Road. The old village of Colestown was located on this Road near the
stream. Colestown, which received its name from Samuel Coles one of the earliest
settlers in the neighborhood, contained several houses, two stores, a blacksmith
shop and the famous Fountain Hotel or Tavern as it was doubtless called in
those days. Near the Tavern there was a Mineral Spring whose waters were supposed
to have been medicinal. The water was analyzed by a well-known chemist and
the analysis chiseled on a stone near the spring. I regret that the mineral
contents of the water have not been preserved but doubtless it contained iron
with a slight trace of sulphur. The hotel was a famous resort for many years.
The beauty of its surroundings, the nearby mill pond which was almost large
enough to be called a lake, as well as the life giving waters, attracted the
young as well as the old. For many years it was the fashionable resort of
the neighborhood and a week-end at the Fountain Hotel was analogous to a week-end
visit in modern times to our favorite seaside or mountain resort. The waters
of the spring may not have been potent but a few days rest at the hotel and
quiet walks through the beautiful woods, doubtless rejuvenated our grandparents
who were weary with home and business cares. The young people no doubt enjoyed
a cup of water from the famous spring after a stroll through the woods or
a moonlight ride on the mill pond. The hotel was moved about 1830 and is now
part of the first house on the northern side of Church Road after crossing
the creek if traveling toward Evesboro. Nothing remains to mark the site of
the old hotel excepting a depression in the ground near the bank of the stream.

Samuel and Elizabeth Coles, for
whom the village was named, arrived from England in 1682 and first settled
on Cooper’s Creek near the Delaware River. In 1685 he purchased 500
acres on the south branch of “Pensoakin” Creek

COLESTOWN, THE DESERTED VILLAGE97

from Jeremiah Richards and a little
later 300 acres adjoining from Richard Heritage. Samuel R. Coles of Moorestown
has the original deed in his possession. The Colestown Cemetery is located
on the original tract. The plantation was known as “New Orchard”
and the house stood near the present homestead on the southwest corner of
the liaddonfield & Church Roads. It was pleasantly located on a knoll
commanding a beautiful view of meadowland and the winding picturesque Cropwell
Creek as the south branch of the Pensauken was called in the early days.

The present village of Colestown
is largely “A City of the Dead.” Many worthies of “ye olden”
as well as of modern times are buried in this well kept cemetery. To those
of us who are historically minded the monument standing in the cemetery near
Church Road which marks the site of old St. Mary’s Episcopal Church,
is the most interesting spot in the immediate neighborhood. The brick walk
leading up to the monument, originally led from the King’s Highway to
the old church. St. Mary’s was erected in 1751 and was unfortunately
burned to the ground in 1899. It was an unpretentious building without steeple,
belfry or stained glass windows and the interior was correspondingly plain.
It undoubtedly had its origin in the Keithian controversy. George Keith, that
brilliant Scotch schismatic, who was in turn Presbyterian, Quaker and member
of the Church of England, preached in the home of William Heulings which was
located in the neighborhood of Colestown on September 15th, 1703 as recorded
in his Journal. This was shortly after the establishment of St. Mary’s
Church in Burlington. Other services were held from time to time in the homes
of those who belonged to the Church of England on their arrival or were converted
by the powerful preaching of Keith. Among these were the Heulings, WalEs and
Rudderow families.

Thomas Rudderow the progenitor
of the family in Burlington County, lived between the two branches of Pensauken
Creek, not far from Fork Landing. He died in

98MOORESTOWN AND HER NEIGHBORS

1729 and in his will bequeathed
Ten Pounds “towards the building of a Church in that place to be convenient
hereaway.” This fund doubtless was used in the erection of the Church
in Colestown in 1751. For many years the Church was a mission under the care
of Christ Church, Philadelphia. It was used very little after the erection
of the beautiful stone Episcopal Church in Moorestown in 1837 which formerly
stood at the northwest corner of Main and Church Streets.

Almost every foot of land in the
neighborhood of the Colestown Cemetery is historic, especially the section
which lies between the Cemetery and the north branch of Pensauken Creek. The
old Matlack homestead standing at the Northeast corner of Fellowship Road
and School House Lane was erected in about 1753 by William Matlack the grandson
of the pioneer of that name. This house stands on the original 100 acre tract
surveyed for William Matlack in 1682 and is still owned by a member of the
family. Directly across School House Lane from the Matlack homestead stands
the old Buzby House, which in the early days was a celebrated Tavern. The
King’s Highway ran directly between these two old houses and the Ferry
Road leading to Spicer’s Ferry, over Cooper’s Creek, near where
the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge is now located branched from the King’s
Highway at this point. There was also a store located near the Tavern in the
early days and the settlement was known as “Farmer Town.” The
portion of School House Lane leading to the Haddonfield Road is part of an
old road that formerly led from King’s Highway near the Buzby House
and passing through Fellowship joined the “Great Road” leading
from Haddonfleld to Mount Holly a little west of Evesboro. The old brick school
house erected by the Friends in 1785 and still standing near School House
Lane formerly faced this old Road and not King’s Highway as stated by
some writers. The Highway passed about 200 yards north of the School House.
It was very

COLESTOWN, THE DESERTED VILLAGE99

conveniently located near the
junction of King’s Highway, the Ferry Road and the road leading to Evesboro.The
King’s Highway from this point followed the general course of the lane
leading to Lindley Gardiner’s residence on the Reuben Matlack farm which
is now owned by Cha.lkley and Mary Matlack who are direct descendants of Reuben
and Elizabeth Coles Matlack. Reuben Matlack’s blacksmith shop erected
in 1787 is still standing near the Gardiner residence and is especially interesting
to the Friends of Moorestown and vicinity for the reason that the iron latches,
hinges, etc., in the old brick Meeting House in Moorestown erected in 1802,
were made in this shop. The Highway passed between the shop and the old Matlack
homestead which stood in the rear of the Gardiner residence and from thence
down the back lane to the south branch of Pensauken Creek. The old Reuben
Matlack homestead was unfortunately burned in 1911. Chalkley Matlack, now
living on the farm, is greatly interested in the early history of the community
and of the Society of Friends. He is preparing an album or series of albums
with views of all the old Quaker Meeting Houses of Pennsylvania as well as
of New Jersey, which when completed, will be of great historic value. The
pictures of each Meeting House are accompanied by a brief historical sketch
of the Meeting.